Table traverse mechanism for grinding machines



Oct. 11, 1932. H. A. slLvEN TABLE TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR GRINDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11. 1929 gnven fo'o HEREERT A, film/EN III/IIIIIIIIII k W'WNEssEs attouwq Oct. 11, 1932. H. A. SILVEN TABLE TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR GRINDING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v inventor HERBERT Fl. S/LVEN affoxue L4 TABLE TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR GRINDING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 MTNESSES Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED S ATES FATE OFFICE.

HERBERT A. SILVEN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO NORTON COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TABLE .[YR'AV'EIR-SIIE! MECHANISM FOR GRINDING MACHINES Application filed May 11, 1929. Serial no. 362,347.

This invention relates to grinding machines and more particularly to a table traverse control mechanism which permits the table to be traversed either by hand or by power.

In the grinding of crank shafts and work of similar nature .which have sei eral grinding stations, the table carrying the work v sired extent.

table.

piece must be traversed to each of the stations and maintained stationary during the grinding operation. .Heretofore, grinding machines doing work "of-this type have usually been manually traversedby means of a hand wheel mounted upon theggbase of the machine and cooperating withgagear train and a rack secured to the underside of the This manual operation of positioning the work table for each grinding station is slow and involves considerable loss of time particularly in the quantity production of duplicate pieces, such as automobile crank shafts, where many shaftsare successively ground in the same machine. It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a power driven mechanism which traverses the table. and automatically stop it in its travel in any one of several prede ermined positions for grinding spaced portions of the work and which may be adjusted to change the grinding position as desired. 1

In combinationwith an automatic mechanism whichmay be'regulated to stop the table at one of several predetermined positions, it is also preferable to'have armanually traversable mechanism which permits the operator to move the table through any desired distance, so as, for example,'to compensate. for improper adjustment of the automaticstop mechanism. p

It is therefore a further, object of the inventionto accomplish this and to provide a manually operable device independent of the power mechanism whereby the operator may adjust the position of the table to any de- To facilitate the control of such a machine used for the precision grinding. of many duplicate work pieces on a production basis, it is advantageous to have as few controls as possible. 7

It is therefore another object of this vention to provide a table traverse mechanism regulated by a single lever which may not only control the power traverse for approximately positioning the work, but also be used to actuate a! manually operable mechanism which serves to move the table to exactly position the work relative to the wheel.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a machine of the type speci-' fied having a table traverse controlled by a single lever which may selectively engage a fluid pressure mechanism or a manually operable mechanism to traverse the table.

Referring to the drawings, which, illustrate one embodiment of this invention, in

which like reference numerals indicate like 1.,

parts:

Fig. 1 is a-view partly in section showing the, control, mechanism and cooperating parts;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine, parts of the control lever being broken away to more clearly illustrate the associated part s' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a table dog positioned to stop the .table in its travel when traversing to the left a ,4 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a table dog in position to stop the table in its travel when traversing to the right; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the machine taken along" the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan view taken along the line 66 in Fig.2;

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 77 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 isa view in perspective showing a V dog mounted on the table; and

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the machine. This invention relates to a grinding machine having a grinding wheel and a work table respectively traversable by power actuated mechanism to position any portion of the work in operative relation to the grinding wheel. In the preferred embodiment of this invention the work carrying table is arranged to slide longitudinally past the grinding wheel and a fluid pressure device is preferably utilized to move the table in either direction.

One feature of this invention involves a control device, including adjustable stops, which cooperate with the power mechanism so that the table may be traversed to any predetermined position and automatically stopped, thereby placing any desired portion of the work opposite the grinding wheel. If 15 a fluid pressure device is utilized to traverse the table, the control may then be a manually operable valve. To stop the table in a predetermined position, a valve control device is arranged to be operated in timed relation with the table moveemnt. In the form illustrated, adjustable stops are preferably located upon the movable table, and a valve control member which may be located in the path of travel of the stops is actuated thereby, When the table has reached a predetermined position, so as to close the valve and stop the admission of fluid under pressure to the fluid pressure device.

A further feature of this invention contemplates the provision of a manually operable table traverse mechanism which is preferably independent of the power mechanism, and the parts are so arranged that the operator may traverse the table either manually or automatically. ,To efl'ect this, a manually operable member, such as a hand lever, may be arranged to be selectively connected by suitable means, such as a clutch, to either the power or the manual traverse as desired.

As illustrated, a grinding machine embodying this invention may comprise a base 1 having a table 2 arranged to support the work 3 on suitable members, such as two headstocks 4, and the work may be rotated in any desired manner as will be well known to those skilled in the art. Opposed to the work is a grinding wheel 5 mounted insuitable hearings on a wheel slide 6. The work table 2 is traversable on ways 12 of the machine so as to locate any of the work stations, such as the pins of a crank shaft, in proper grinding relation with the wheel. It is to be understood that various constructional features found in grinding machines of this type may be employed so that the grinding wheel may be moved to grind the work to the desired extent.

In the present embodiment of the invention the work table is slidable past the wheel and is traversed by a fluid pressure device or motor comprising a cylinder chamber 13 supported upon the base and a piston 15 slidably mounted therein which actuates a piston rod 16 connected, at its other end to a bracket 17 depending from the table 2. To control the means of the cooperating parts 16 and 17.

movement of the piston within the cylinder,

a valve mechanism may be utilized which is arran ed to transmit fluid pressure to either end 0% the cylinder 13, or to shut off the fluid pressure entirely. As shown in the drawings, a valve mechanism is secured to the base 1, and may comprise a cylinder 21 having pistons 22 and 23 mounted upon one end of a piston rod 24, the other end of which is fastened through suitable connections to the control lever 25 which is operated either manually or automatically to actuate the valve. Fluid under. pressure may be supplied by any suitable source, such as a gear pump in the base, through a pipe 26 and into the valve chamber 27 between the valve pistons 22 and 23. Fluid entering the chamber 27 may be transmitted to either end of the cylinder 13 depending upon the position of the pistons 22 and 23. To manually control the valve mechanism and the direction of table traverse, a hand lever 30 is pivotally mounted on the base and is arranged to be connected through a slidable clutch member 28 with the lever 25. As will be explained, the lever 30 is mounted to rock on pin 29 and sleeve 31 for movement towards and from the base as well as parallel with the plane of movement of lever 25. These two levers are mounted to swing about the same axis, and in the same direction at the same time when connected, so that movement of lever 30 in a. given direction will transmit a corresponding motion to lever 25 and open the valve, causing the tab'ie so be traversed in the direction in which the lever 30 is rocked.

When the lever 25 is rocked to the right as indicated by position 25a in Fig. 5, the valve pistons 22 and 23 will also be moved to the right to positions 22a and 23a, as indicated in dotted lines. Fluid entering the chamber 27 may now enter'the pipe 32 and cylinder 13, thereby transmitting pressure to the piston 15 and presenting a corresponding motion to the table. Any fluid present in the rightno hand end of the cylinder 13 may enter the pipe 33 and flow through the control valve into the exhaust line 34 and thence to the fluid supply tank in the base of the machine. Similarly, it will be seen that-when the lever 25 is rocked to the left, as indicated by position 251; in Fig. 5, the valve pistons 22 and 23 will also move to the left to new positions 226 and 236 as indicated in dotted lines. Fluid now entering the chamber 27 may pass\ through the pipe 33 intothe right-hand end of the table traverse cylinder, thereby transmitting pressure to the piston 15 and moving the table in a corresponding direction by Fluid present in the left-hand end of the cylinder is now free to exhaust through pipe 32 into the valve and thence through the exhaust line 34 to the fluid supply tank in the base of the machine.

To stop the table traverse in any one of several predetermined positions, there is provided a stop device including adjustably positioned dogs which cooperate with the power mechanism so that any portion of the work may be located in grinding relation to the wheel. These dogs are adjustably mounted upon the table in such positions as to intercept a lever which may be connected to actuate the control lever 30 and thereby throw it to a neutral position, thus stopping the table traverse at any desired predetermined position. A T-slot 35 is out along the side of the table 2 whereby table dogs 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42 may be slidably attached thereto. A lever 45, having a contact member 46 mounted upon its upper end, is pivotally mounted in the plane of movement of the table dogs upon a stud 47 which in turn is fastened to an apron 48 by a nut 49. The lever 45 has an elongated slot at its lower end to receive a roller 50 relatively slidable therein and mounted upon the lever 30.

\Vhen the lever 30 is rocked inwardly on pin 29 towards the machine, the roller 50 will engage in the lever 45 at the same time that the clutch 28 is moved to connect the levers 25 and 30 to actuate the fluid pressure valve. When the lever 30 is rocked to the right or left while in engagement with lever 45, the lever 45 must necessarily rock in the opposite direction since its pivot point is above its slotted portion. The lever 45 is maintained in a vertical position when disengaged from the lever 30 by a spring pressed plunger 51 which rides in a depression in a quadrant 52. The angular travel of lever 45 is governed by the travel of lever 30 which in turn is limited in its movement by a positioning member 53 (Fig. 6) while the two levers are in operative engagement with each other. The member 53 has six difl'erent locating positions to which lever 30 may be thrown, three serving to place the contact member 46 in the path of the table dogs 37, 38 or 39 while the table is traversing-to the right; the three other positions serving to place the member 46 in the path of the dogs 40, 41 or 42 while the table traverses to the left. These six difierent positions as indicated in Fig. 6 by A, B, C, D, E and F place the contact member 46 in corresponding positions indicated in Fig. 2 in dotted lines as A, B, C, I), E and F. The table dogs project below the table through progressively increasing distances each side of a center position, so that dogs 39 and 40 will contact with member 46 when the latter is in positions D and A respectively; and dogs 38 and 41 will contact with member 46 in positions E and B respectively; and the other two dogs 37 and 42 will contact with member 46in positions F and C. It will be apparent that the intermediate dogs will ride over the member 46 in its outer positions.

It will thus be apparent that as the table traverses, one of the table dogs engages member 46 and pushes it to a vertical position, thereby stopping the table in its travel. Thus, if the lever 30 is rocked into the positioning member 53 and then to the extreme left to position indicated at C in Fig.6, and also as indicated in Fig. 3, roller 50 will engage the slot in lever 45 and place the member 46 in the position C in the path of the table dog 42. As the table traverses to the left, table dog 42 will engage the contact member 46 and push it to a vertical position thereby moving lever 30 to a vertical position and stopping the table in its travel. Similarly, if the lever 30 is rocked to the extreme right position as indicated at F in Fig. 6 and also as shown in Fig. 4, the member 46 is placed at F (Fig. 2) in the path of the table dog 37 and is engaged by it as the table traverses to the right, thereby moving the lever 30 to a vertical position and stopping the table in its travel. It will thus be seen that in a similar manner when the lever 30 is brought to other locating positions in the member 53, the member 46 will be placed at corresponding angular positions andbe engaged by one or the other table dogs in its to the exact predetermined position it may be further adjusted by the set screw 59.

As a further feature of the invention, a manually operable mechanism independent of the fluid pressure device is provided and connections are so arranged that the operator may selectively connect the control lever 30 to the manually operated mechanism or to the automatic fluid pressure device. The lever 30 is mounted upon the pin 29 at its lower end, which permits it to rock in and out of the positioning member 53. The pin 29 is mounted in a yoked member 61. When the lever 30 is thrown out of operative engagement with the table, it rests in a substantially vertical position, disengaged from the positioning member 53 as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. To maintain the lever in this position, one side of the yoked member 61 has a V- shaped depression 62 (Fig. 1) within which rides a spring pressed lunger 63 depressed by a spring 64 which rides within a boss on the lever 30.

The yoked member 61 which is secured by a key and a. nut to the forward end of the sleeve 31, also has a. depressed portion 66 within which rides a spring pressed plunger 67 depressed by a spring 68 which is mounted within a-boss 69 in the apron cover 70. The lever 25 which is rotatably mounted upon the other end of the sleeve 31 between a raised portion 72 of the sleeve and a bearing 73 on the apron has clutch teeth 75 out in its face adapted to engage one face of a clutch member 28 slidably mounted in driving engagement with the sleeve 31. A pinion 77 rotatably mounted upon the sleeve 31 has clutch teeth out in its face also adapted to engage teeth on the clutch member 28. The sleeve 31 has a rod 78 slidably mounted therein and pivotally connected at one end to the lever 30 by a bolt 80. The rod 78 has the clutch member 28 secured to its other end by a pin 82 which is adapted to slide in a slot 83 in the sleeve 31. It will thus be seen that by rocking the lever 30 toward or away from the grinding machine, the operator may either connect it with the lever 25 and the fluid pressure device or with the gear 77 and a manual feeding mechanism. The lever 25 is maintained in a substantially vertical or neutral position when disconnected from the lever 30 by a spring pressed roller riding in a depression in a member fastened to the lever 25. For this purpose, a housing 84 is secured to the apron 48 and a plunger 85 is slidably mounted therein and depressed by a spring 86. The lower end of the plunger 85 supports a. roller 88 which is rotatably mounted upon a pin 89 and rides in a depression upon a plate 91 secured to. the lever 25.

The pinion 77 is constantly enmeshed with a cluster gear 93 which is rotatably supported upon a stud 94 fastened to the apron 48 by a nut 95. The cluster gear 93 also meshes with a gear 97 which is keyed to the hub of a gear 98. The gear 98 is rotatably mounted upon the stud 47 which is secured to the apron by a nut 49 and meshes with a rack 100 secured to the table 11. It will thus be seen that if the operator throws the lever 30 outwardly to engage the clutch 28 with the pinion 77, any rocking motion given to the lever 30 will be transmitted to the table and thereby serve to manually traverse it in the same direction depending upon the angular distance through which the lever 30 maybe rocked.

In the operation of this invention, the operator starts the pump which admits fluid under pressure to the chamber 27 of the table control valve through feed pipe 26. He then rocks lever 30 inwardly engaging it wit-h the control valve through the clutch member 28, lever 25 and piston rod 24. The lever 30 is then rocked either to the right or to the left to the desired position in the uide member 53, opening the valve contro ling the hy-- draulic feed and causing the table to traverse in a corresponding direction. If the lever 30 is thrown to position C as indicated in Figs. 3 and 6, the table travels to the left until the predetermined but table dog 42, which has been previously posi- I tioned and adjusted, moves the lever 30 and the grinding cycle may be repeated. If-

the table has not automatically stopped in a position to exactly present the portion of the Work in the plane of the wheel as desired, the operator may pull the lever 30 rearwardly and engage it with the manual traverse through the clutch member 28, pinion member 77 and the gear train cooperating with the rack 100 on the under side of the table, whereby upon moving the lever 30 to the right or left he may transmit a similar motion to the table and exactly place the work opposite to the wheel.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grinding machine having a work table and a grinding wheel which are relatively traversable to position the wheel for grinding the work, power actuated driving'mechanism to move the table, several dogs individually and adjustably positioned on the table, a control device for said mechanism including a contact member movable into or out of the path of any dog for selectively cooperating therewith to stop the table movement at any one of several adjustable positions whereby any portion of the work may be located in accurate grinding relation to the wheel.

2. A grinding machine having a grinding wheel and a work support, a table for one of said parts which is traversable to position the work opposite the wheel, power mechanism to traverse the table, a device for starting and stopping the power mechanism, a plurality of dogs adjustably mounted on the table, means including a lever for manually controlling said device,'said lever being movable into the path of any one of the dogs so that it will be selectively engaged by any one of the preadjusted dogsand automatically stop the table traverse in any one of several'preconnected to traverse the table, a valve contively traversable to position the work opposite the grinding wheel, power mechanism to move the table, a control device therefor, a

hand operated member connectible to the control device to actuate it, and means for connecting said member to the table for man ually traversing the same thereby.

5. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a work table traversable to position the work. opposite the wheel, a fluid pressure mechanism to move the table, means cooperating therewith to stop the table in various predetermined grinding positions, a hand operated member connected to control the fluid pressure meohanism,and means for mechanically connecting said member to the table for manually traversing the same thereby.

6. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a Work table traversable to position the work opposite the wheel, a fluid pressure device to move the table in either direction, a control valve to admit fluid to said device, manually operable mechanism independent of the fluid pressure device for moving the table, a manual control member, and means whereby said manual control member. may be selectively connected to the 1nanually operated mechanism or to said valve.

7. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a work table movable to position the work opposite the wheel, power actuated mechanism connected to move the table, a control device including settable dogs cooperating with said mechanism to stop the table in any one of several predetermined posi tions, a manually operable mechanism for moving the table independently of the power operated mechanism, and means including a manually operable member connectible to the control device for causing the power actuated movement or directly to the manually operable mechanism for adjusting the position of the table.

8. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a work table movable to position the work opposite the wheel, fluid pressure mechanism connected to move the table longitudinally, a control valve therefor, adjustably positioned dogs having contact faces at difl'erent distances from the table, a pivotally mounted contact member movable to different positions whereby it will be engaged by any one of the dogs "and pass by other dogs, a

manually operable lever to actuate the valve, said lever being connected to selectively position the contact member in the path of any one of the dogs so that the table movement may be stopped at any one of several predetermined positions.

9. A grinding machine comprising a traversable table, a fluid pressure device arranged to move said table, a valve mechanism arranged to admit fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure device, a hand lever for operating the valve mechanism, adjustably positioned dogs on the table, clutch controlled connections between the lever and the table for moving the table manually, and means whereby the lever may be moved by a dog on the table to operate the valve and mechanically stop the table at a predetermined position. 10. A table traverse mechanism comprising a base, a traversable table mounted thereon, dogs adj ustably mounted onthe table, a fluid pressure device to actuate said table, manually operated mechanism independent of the fluid pressure device for moving the table, a control lever which may be manually operated to regulate the fluid pressure device, means for holding the lever in the path of the dogs whereby the table traverse may be stopped automatically, and means whereby the lever may be connected to said mechanism for traversing the table manually.

Signed at Worcester, Mass, this ninth day of May, 1929.

HERBERT A. SILVEN. 

